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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  LIBRARY  AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


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https://archive.org/details/reportofadfhamliOOhaml 


REPORT 


A.  D.  F.  HAMLIN 


Consulting  Architect 


COMMITTEE  HAVING  CHARGE  OF  THE  ERECTION  OF 


CARNEGIE  LIBRARY  BUILDINGS 

IN  THE 


BOROUGH  OF  BROOKLYN 


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To  the  Committee  for  Erecting  Carnegie  Libraries  in  Brooklyn  : 

Gentlemen — In  compliance  with  your  request,  I have  care- 
fully studied  the  problem  upon  which  you  have  asked  my  advice, 
and  beg  to  submit  herewith  my  conclusions. 

The  question  of  the  wisest  possible  procedure  for  procuring 
the  designs  and  selecting  the  architects  of  the  proposed  Carnegie 
libraries  in  Brooklyn,  concerns  chiefly  three  classes  of  interests  : 
those  of  the  libraries  themselves  ; those  of  the  general  public 
who  use  them  ; and  those  of  the  architectural  profession,  upon 
whose  members  you  must  depend  for  the  proper  satisfaction 
of  the  other  two  classes. 

It  is  plain  that  whatever  architectural  solution  of  the  pr<5Tblem 
best  serves  the  needs  and  functions  of  the  library,  serves  also  to 
the  same  extent  the  people  who  use  it  and  the  community  of 
which  they  are  a part.  But  in  the  matter  of  aesthetic  beauty  the 
general  public  have  also  an  interest  independent  of  the  library 
itself.  For  a well-planned  and  convenient  edifice,  serving  well 
the  needs  of  the  library,  may  yet  be  a cause  of  offense  to  the 
public  by  reason  of  its  unattractiveness  or  its  positive  ugliness 
of  architectural  treatment. 

It  is  therefore  essential,  first,  to  make  sure  of  such  planning 
and  arrangement  as  will  most  perfectly  subserve  the  uses  of  the 
proposed  libraries ; and,  secondly,  to  secure  an  architectural 
treatment  of  the  buildings  that  shall  be  satisfactory  from  an 
architectural  point  of  view.  These  libraries  are  in  a sense  public 
monuments,  destined  to  endure  for  long  periods  of  tim’e,  and 
should  possess  those  permanent  qualities  of  artistic  dignity  and'' 
refined  elegance  which  always  win  the  approval  of  good  taste,  in 
spite  of  changes  of  style  or  fashion. 

So  far  as  the  architectural  profession  is  concerned,  results  such 
as  have  been  outlined  above  will  command  the  approval  of  archi- 
tects generally.  Private  and  local  preferences  must  not  interfere 
with  the  higher  interests  of  the  enterprise,  and  any  procedure 
that  demonstrably  serves  these  interests  fulfills  also  your  obliga- 
tions to  the  profession  at  large. 

X. 


4 


The  above  considerations  are  fundamental  and  axiomatic.  The 
questions  really  requiring  discussion  relate  to  details.  They 
seem  to  me  to  be  as  follows  : 

(I.)  What  shall  be  the  type  or  types  of  the  proposed  libraries, 
and  how  shall  they  be  determined  ? 

(II.)  To  what  extent  shall  the  architectural  treatment  of  the 
buildings  be  uniform,  and  to  what  extent  varied  ? 

(III.)  How  many  architects  shall  be  employed  ? 

(IV.)  How  shall  these  be  selected  ? 

(V.)  Shall  the  procedure  adopted  be  limited  to  the  buildings 
first  undertaken,  or  extended  to  cover  the  whole  enterprise,  from 
inception  to  completion  ? 

(I.)  What  shall  be  the  type  or  types  of  the  proposed  libraries,  and 
how  shall  it  or  they  be  determined  l 

In  answer  to  this  I recommend  that  you  instruct  your  profes- 
sional adviser  to  prepare,  in  conference  with  the  Librarian  of 
the  Public  Library,  a program  of  instructions  to  architects,  em- 
bodying in  a form  similar  to  that  of  a competition  program  a 
detailed  statement  of  the  requirements  of  the  proposed  libraries; 
this  program,  when  approved  by  your  Committee,  to  serve  for  the 
guidance  of  the  architects  employed. 

I recommend  further,  that  each  of  the  architects  selected  be 
instructed  to  prepare  a design  for  one  building;  but  that  in  the 
preparation  of  these  designs  all  the  architects  collaborate  and 
confer  with  the  utmost  freedom,  both  formally  and  informally, 
alike  with  each  other  and  with  your  Librarian  and  your  profes- 
sional adviser,  as  representing  your  Committee;  so  that  each 
design  shall  represent  its  author’s  conception  of  the  building  as 
developed  in  the  light  of  the  fullest  discussion  and  information. 
The  conditions  will  thus  be  very  different  from  those  of  an  ordi- 
nary competition,  which  involve  a large  measure  of  secrecy  in 
each  man’s  work. 

The  sketch-designs  thus  prepared  will  furnish  the  Committee 
with  the  necessary  data  for  deciding  the  question  of  type.  It 
will  be,  in  all  likelihood,  clear  from  these  designs  whether  one 
among  them  is  so  superior  as  to  furnish  a manifest  type  to  be 
followed  in  all  the  libraries;  or  whether  on  the  other  hand  two  or 
more  designs  differing  materially  in  arrangement  and  yet  equally 


5 


serviceable  and  convenient,  are  worthy  of  adoption  and  can  be 
employed  consistently  with  that  unity  of  general  character  which 
ought  to  mark  all  the  libraries  under  this  gift.  It  may  well  prove 
to  be  the  case  in  Brooklyn,  where  the  topography,  shape  and 
dimensions  of  lots  and  the  cost  of  land  are  so  much  more  varied 
than  they  are  in  Manhattan,  that  no  such  unity  of  type  can  be 
maintained  as  is  possible  in  Manhattan.  There  is  likely  at  least 
to  be  the  variation  required  by  the  difference  between  a lot 
between  party-walls  and  one  at  the  corner  of  two  streets.  The 
Committee  will  be  able,  after  examining  the  plans  submitted  and 
listening  to  the  recommendations  of  their  architects,  to  decide 
the  question  in  the  light  of  practical  experience  in  the  solution  of 
specific  problems,  instead  of  reaching  in  advance  an  arbitrary 
decision  on  abstract  principles. 

(II.)  To  what  extent  should  the  architectural  treat?nent  of  all  the 
libraries  be  uniform , and  to  what  exte?it  varied  l 

The  size  and  requirements  of  the  libraries  being  presumably 
identical,  or  nearly  so,  and  these  requirements  being  set  forth  in 
precise  terms  in  the  instructions  to  your  architects,  there  must 
result  a measure  of  similarity  in  the  arrangements  of  the  different 
buildings. 

How  far  this  will  be  modified  by  differences  of  site  and  by  the 
personal  equation  of  the  designers,  it  is  impossible  to  foretell. 
While  the  Committee  may  in  its  program  of  instructions,  and  as 
a matter  of  general  policy,  insist  on  the  desirability  of  a prevail- 
ing unity  of  style  and  character  in  the  architecture  of  all  the 
buildings,  which  should  mark  them  as  unmistakably  Carnegie 
libraries,  it  would  hardly  be  wise  to  go  farther  than  this.  The 
precise  measure  of  restraint  to  be  imposed  on  individual  varia- 
tions of  design  can  be  better  determined  in  the  light  of  actual 
experience,  as  the  result  of  the  experiment  in  cooperative  design 
above  outlined. 

(in.)  How  many  architects  shall  be  employed  ? 

As  many,  in  my  opinion,  as  there  are  libraries  to  be  undertaken 
the  first  year,  provided  these  be  no  more  than  five.  A larger 
number  would  form  an  unwieldy  body,  liable  to  work  at  cross- 
purposes, or  at  least  in  entire  independence  of  each  other,  frus- 
trating the  mutual  cooperation  which  this  scheme  proposes  as  an 


6 


essential  feature  of  the  preliminary  stages  of  the  enterprise.  If 
more  than  five  libraries  are  to  be  undertaken  at  the  outset,  five  of 
them  should  be  assigned  to  the  five  architects,  to  start  with,  and 
the  question  left  open  whether  the  balance  should  be  given  to 
them,  and  if  so,  to  which  ones  among  them,  or  to  outside  archi- 
tects. Your  experience  with  them  and  their  designs  will  make 
this  question  comparatively  easy  of  solution.  The  probability  is 
wholly  in  favor  of  continuing  them  in  office,  and  entrusting  to 
them  the  remaining  libraries. 

(IV.)  Hoiv  shall  the  architects  be  selected  l 

It  is  possible  to  select  the  architects  by  a competition.  This 
is,  however,  a slow  and  expensive  procedure.  If  it  be  adopted 
not  less  than  ten  to  fifteen  architects  should  be  invited  to  com- 
pete, and  be  paid  an  honorarium  of  $250  each  ; only  sketch- 
designs  should  be  required,  and  the  authors  of  the  five  best  de- 
signs should  receive  appointment  as  your  architects.  The  only 
advantage  of  this  procedure  would  be  the  quieting  of  the  clamor 
of  a certain  small  class  of  objectors,  who  insist  that  the  oppor- 
tunity of  such  an  architectural  enterprise  should  be  thrown  open 
to  as  many  as  possible  of  the  architects  of  Brooklyn. 

My  own  preference  is  distinctly  for  direct  selection  and  appoint- 
ment of  the  architects  who  are  to  serve  you.  In  this  selection 
both  actual  achievement,  in  the  case  of  the  older  men,  and,  in  the 
case  of  the  younger  practitioners,  evidence  of  decided  talent  and 
thorough  training,  are  legitimate  considerations.  It  is  also  wise 
to  include  in  the  selection  men  of  somewhat  diverse  talents,  so 
as  to  embrace  engineering  experience,  artistic  ability,  and  mature 
practical  judgment.  The  men  should  be  such  as  can  work 
together  in  harmony.  For  reasons  of  local  civic  policy,  so  far  as 
these  do  not  conflict  with  the  higher  interests  of  the  enterprise, 
it  may  be  desirable  to  select  only  residents  of  the  Borough.  Each 
one  of  those  selected  may  represent  a firm,  but  only  he  should 
appear  and  have  a vote  in  consultations  on  matters  of  common 
interest.  Your  adviser  will  willingly  assist  in  making  the  selec- 
tion, if  so  desired. 

(V.)  Shall  this  procedure  be  limited  to  the  first  group  of  libraries  or 
extended  to  cover  all  l 

The  underlying  thought  of  this  scheme  has  been  to  safeguard 
the  freedom  of  action  of  your  Committee  by  refusing  to  cross 


7 


bridges  before  they  were  reached.  Hard  and  fast  rules  could 
easily  be  laid  down  to  control  the  whole  enterprise  from  start  to 
finish.  But  this  is  too  important  and  complex  an  undertaking  to 
be  confined  within  the  limits  of  arbitrary  preconceptions.  This 
scheme  provides  for  meeting  each  question  as  it  comes  up  and 
not  before,  with  the  help  of  all  the  experience  previously  acquired. 
Whether  the  same  architects  who  design  the  first  group  of  libraries 
should  also  design  all  the  others  or  not  depends  largely  upon 
their  success  with  the  first  group.  Whether  the  type  adopted  for 
this  group  shall  be  insisted  upon  for  the  later  libraries  must  like- 
wise depend  in  great  measure  upon  how  successful  the  first  group 
turn  out  to  be. 

To  sum  up,  then,  your  adviser  recommends: 

1.  That  your  Committee  select  and  appoint  a small  number  of 
architects,  preferably  five  (each  being  permitted  to  represent  a 
firm),  to  constitute  an  Advisory  Commission  upon  all  the  archi- 
tectural questions  involved  in  the  first  group  of  libraries  to  be 
erected,  and  upon  such  further  questions  as  you  may  choose  to 
refer  to  their  judgment. 

2.  That  you  issue  to  this  Advisory  Commission  a definite  pro- 
gram, to  be  prepared  by  your  professional  adviser  in  conference 
with  the  Librarian  of  the  Public  Library,  setting  forth  the  condi- 
tions and  requirements  of  the  proposed  buildings. 

3.  That  each  member  of  the  Advisory  Commission  be  instructed 
to  prepare  a design  for  one  library,  the  apportionment  among 
them  to  be  determined  by  the  members  themselves,  who  shall 
also,  meeting  as  a Commission,  have  power  to  determine  all  gen- 
eral questions  affecting  their  work,  riot  already  determined  in  the 
instructions  given  them.  These  designs  shall  represent  the  result 
of  full  collaboration  and  free  discussion  in  Commission,  and  the 
members  shall  have  free  access  to  the  Librarian  and  to  your  ad- 
viser in  all  matters  in  which  these  can  be  of  assistance. 

4.  The  Advisory  Commission  shall  submit  these  designs  to 
your  Committee,  and  with  them  also  such  recommendations  as 
they  may  choose  to  make  with  regard  to  the  general  policy  and 
further  procedure  of  your  Committee  and  the  details  of  the  archi- 
tectural treatment  of  the  Carnegie  Gift.  Your  Committee  shall 
then,  in  the  light  of  these  recommendations,  and  of  the  designs 
submitted,  prepare  their  final  instructions  to  the  members  of  the 


8 


Advisory  Commission,  who  shall  then  proceed  to  prepare  the 
working  drawings  for  the  proposed  group  of  libraries,  in  accord- 
ance with  these  instructions.  In  these  deliberations  the  services 
of  your  professional  adviser  shall  be  always  at  the  service  of  your 
Committee. 

5.  The  policy  to  govern  the  next  and  all  subsequent  groups  of 
libraries  shall  be  formulated  and  announced  at  such  later  time  as 
your  Committee  may  appoint. 

6.  For  their  services  as  architects  to  the  Committee  for  erecting 
Carnegie  libraries  in  Brooklyn  all  architects  employed  shall  be 
paid  the  customary  commission  of  five  per  cent,  for  full  services; 
and  for  partial  services  at  the  rates  established  by  the  American 
Institute  of  Architects,  except  that,  when  two  or  more  libraries 
are  erected  from  the  same  design,  the  commission  shall  be  four 
per  cent,  for  the  second  and  three  per  cent,  for  the  third  and 
subsequent  libraries;  and  for  partial  services  in  proportion. 

All  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

A,  D.  F.  HAMLIN. 

The  report  was  adopted  by  the  Carnegie  Committee,  consisting 
of  Messrs.  David  A.  Boody,  Daniel  W.  McWilliams,  R.  Ross  Ap- 
pleton, John  W.  Devoy,  and  becomes  the  basis  of  agreement 
between  the  Committee  and  the  architects.  More  detailed  in- 
formation will  be  given  in  a later  circular. 


UNIVERSITY 


3 0112 


33F 


